Guard for hop-pickers.



B. C. HORST.

GUARD POB HOP PIGKBBS. uPmoA'rIon FILED un s. 1910.

1,012,135. 1 Patented 1160.111911.

EMIL CLEMENS HORST, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

GUARD FOR HOP-FICKERS.

To all whom 'it ma/y concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL CnaMENs Hons'r, citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Guards forHop-Pickers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hop-picking machines, and machines of a kindredcharacter.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, practicalmeans for guarding the entering points of the picking devices, so thatthe hops or other fruit will not be broken or injured by forciblecontact with any sharp points or projections.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combinationof parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, havingreference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is adiagrammatic representation in side elevation of the invention. Figs. 2,3 and 4 are plan views of different forms of guarding devices. Figs. 5,G and 7 are side elevations corresponding, respectively, to Figs. 2, 3and 4.

A is an endless carrier of any suitable description to which the vines2, carrying the hops or other fruit to be picked, are suitably attachedby any appropriate means, representedat 3. The carrier A being operatedat suitable speed by appropriate means, draws the vine 2 across thepicking devices by which the hops for fruit ,are picked. These pickingdevices preferably consist of V-shaped or serrated pickers, representedat 4 in the drawings, with the apex 5 of each V-opening closed, and theWider end of the V-space open and presented toward the hops, as the sameare drawn across the pickers by the carrier A; the hops dropping downinto the V-opening and being severed from the stem when the hop catchesin the crotch of the picker. These picking members 4 may be made eitherof wire or serrated plate. Preferably they are made of wire withangularly-bent stems connected in pairs by suitable means, as the sleeve5', and these stems being properly secured to a part B supporteindependent of the carrier A.

The important feature of this invention is the means provided for ardingthe open ends of the V- haped pic ers. In ad- Specication of LettersPatent.

Application led'May 5, 1910.

Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

Serial No. 559,614.

dition to having the apex of the V closed, the heel or serrated edge ofthe picker is preferably guarded, so that the hops will not be spearedor torn by hitting any sharp or pointed edges. Therefore, to that end Iprovide a suitable form of guard whereby the hops are led or directedinto the V- openings in a suitable manner. In Figs. 2 and 5, theseguards for a V-opening consist of a plate 6 suitably secured to a xedsupport 7 arranged below the lane of the pickers 4; the plate 6 havingIbackwardlyinclined and horizontally-extended, comparatively narrow andtapered guard projections or members 8 slightly overlapping the pointsof the pickers, as shown in Fig. 2. A vine traveling in the direction ofthe arrow, Fig. l, passes over the pickers, the depending hops beingreceived into the guarded spaces 9 and into the picker to be severedthereby from the vine. Essentially the same principle of guarding isshown in Figs. 3, 4, 6 and 7. In Figs. 3 and 6, the guard plate 6 hasvertical narrow projections 8 with bent-over ends 10 guarding theunderneath points of the pickers 4. In Figs. 4 and T, I have shownupright plates 8 fastened on edge, with their upper tapered ends notchedto receive the points of the pickers 4a. It is manifest that this systemof guarding would be the same whether the pickers were stationary ormoving, or whether the guard members were stationary or moving.

One of the principal reasons for guarding the picking fingers is to keepthe bulk of the vines and leaves otf of the pickers, and to providemeans for picking clean hops, with a minimum of clusters, and to preventthe dismembering of the vines, which would take place if the ends of theserrated pickers were not guarded. Without guards there is nothin toprevent the catching of either the brano es or main portion of a vineitself in the closed V of the picking member, which would result in alot of unnecessary trash being picked or torn oi' with the hops. Thesebroken portions of branches or vines would become waste and adhere tothe picking members, thereby destroying their eliiciency; besides, thistrash would detract from the value of the picked product. By the use ofthe guards the vines are supported and only the protruding hops arecaught and picke Having Athus described my invent1on,what

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. The combination witha vine carrier, of a serrated picker en ageable by the fruit on the vinecarried y the carrier, and guard members projecting forward incontinuation of the polnts of the picker, said guard members comprisingplates supported independent of the pickers and overhanging the pointsthereof, and between which lates the hops have free entr into the V-saped picking space provide by said serrated pickers.

2. A hop-picking device consisting of a suitably supported serratedpicking member having V-shaped openings, with the apices of the openingsclosed, and the heel of said openings guarded by independently supportedmembers which are in continuation of the points of the picker.

3. A hop-picking device comprising a series of V-shaped pickers arrangedside by side in line, said pickers made of wire bent to present V-shapedpicking openings and to form contiguous supporting stems for the wallsforming these openings, these stems bound to ether to form a closure forthe apexes of t e V-openings, and suitable guard means for the points ofthe open ends of said V-openings.

4. Ahop-picking device made of Wire bent to provide a succession ofV-shaped openings, With suitable supporting means at the apexes of theV-openings, and guarding members at the mouth of the openings and in thebend formed by the convergent walls of two of said V-shaped openings,and said members having their point of attachment forward and out of theplane of the picker.

5, A hop picker comprising, in combination, a support, a plurality ofWires attached to said support and bent in such manner as to formV-shaped openings, andl a guard for the projecting outer points of thebent Wires, said guard being normally out of contact with said wires andbeing adapted to support said wires to prevent distortion thereof,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

THEO. EDER, MILTON N. MHJLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, ID. C.

